[.ca] Alternative Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis (ISBN 1888799528)

Better than expected:
After reading some of the reviews I hestitated on buying this. I had just been diagnosed with MS. I started taking the shots (and still am) but wanted to find other things that I could do. From the reviews I thought this would be an alternative medicine bashing book but its not. It states the facts as they are and shows pros and cons, leave a lot for the reader to consider. I found this to be a well-rounded book that had good info.

An excellent starting point:
To explore alternative medicine is to take a journey into aspects of healing that are outside of patentable pharmacology. The journey is easier with a map, but the map is only a starting point. When considering alternative medicine, we need to make our own decisions about approaches to health that often have not been studied in the way that patentable drugs have been studied. Even so, the journey should begin by learning what has previously been reported on the subject. Dr. Bowling's book is a fist-rate description of the terrain of alternative medicine. Unlike other MS-specific books about alternative medicine, his is based on a review of published literature rather than on personal experience, anecdote and fancy. Part of Dr. Bowling's accomplishment is that he has managed to catalogue a diverse and hard-to-define area. More imortantly, it describes, in succint and easy-to-understand and language, the published research that is available on about 40 different areas of alternative medicine. Don't buy the book thinking there is a cure for MS to be found in its pages. On the other hand, if you are looking for a starting point for understanding alternative medicine, then this book is a useful resource.

Alternative Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis by Bowling:
Multiple Sclerosis is a system that impacts the immune system and the nervous system. There is a hereditary disposition to the disease. The main damage involves lesions of the brain and spinal cord. The disease may relapse and remit during various phases. The drug Betaseron may be employed for MS to decrease relapses in both length and severity. Alternative medicinal protocols may be employed i.e. acupuncture, exercise, biofeedback, chiropractic and massage therapy. Acupuncture has minor risks in the thoracic region for the lung and heart. Propolis has been found to stimulate and suppress immune function. A new area called Psychoneuroimmunology has developed which impacts both the nervous system and the immune system. Chelation therapy removes plaque from the blood vessels. Chiropractic has been known to help MS sufferers because low back pain is reduced with gentle manipulation. Dental amalgum implications may be present in arthritis, lupus, Parkinson's and brain tumor. Decreases in dietary fat may assist MS sufferers. Gamma Linoleic Acid supresses excess immune system activity. Enzyme therapy improves both digestion and the breakdown of complex food groups. i.e. protein Certain exercises i.e. horseback riding improves the pelvis. This book is an excellent supplementary reference for MS sufferers. It will complement any formal program of pharmaceutical medicines in place. Definition: A linoleic acid is a liquid unsaturated fatty acid essential in animal nutrition. The chemical composition is: C H O 18 30 2

Alternative Medicine & MS:
It does discuss a variety of alternative treatments for MS, but pretty well dismisses them all as either 1) ineffective but harmless or 2) ineffective and dangerous.

A good resource:
I don't agree with the reviews that state this book as not being helpful. Obviously a MD is careful about recommending alternative therapies (and to do it in writing goes even farther against their grain.) With that said, Dr. Bowling includes a multitude of options and resources that any proactive patient would find of value. And he states right up front that he supports a complementary approach that uses western practices along with the alternative therapies. He offers fact, theory and opinion on these therapies (he's ok with just about every one that doesn't involve infusions/IVs, chemicals and the like) And yes, he has a bias for the ABC & Rebif drugs (and there's nothing wrong with that... I've read a lot of books written by alternative practioners who don't have anything good to say about western options/drugs; so one needs to consider the source and take a proactive approach to his/her own healing.) Just the section on Vitamins, Minerals & Other NonHerbal Supplements is worth it (having that info whittled down to 23 pages versus some oversized volume on the topic was great.) If you've gotten this far (meaning you're interested enough in this title to be reading the reviews), I say Go For It; one can never have enough info and if this book gives you just one new piece of information... then that's one more than what you started with.